Unforgiven
by katrin87
Summary: Major angst warning, two characters dead, suicide. Steph gets caught by a stalker and Ranger deals with the aftermath.


_Listen to this song while reading it. You won't get the full effect without. And yes, there's angst and two main character dead!! Before you start reading make sure you have the tissues handy.  
The song's Unforgiven by Apocalyptica._

Unforgiven

By Katrin

It was raining as he drove through Trenton. He felt like his life would never be the same. Two days ago everything had changed, everything he had ever believed in just wasn't any longer.

Two days ago Stephanie had died. The last weeks had been tough on her. A stalker had been out to hunt her down and kill her, threatening to rape her. The numerous gifts he had left had done nothing to keep Steph calm and in control. For the first time since he had know Steph she had been panicked, nothing like the controlled woman he had met in the diner all these years ago.

And now he was driving around in Trenton, without a destination. Trying to forget the picture of her, trying to clear his mind of her, thoughts of her, trying to get into his zone so the nightmares wouldn't come and hunt him, but his thoughts strayed back to her.

He and his men had done everything they could to hunt her stalker down, but they just couldn't get a lead on him, everything just ended in nothing. They didn't know the reason or even who it was. Nothing.

Add to this the trouble she had with Morelli, his nagging to quit bounty hunting, to come to live with him and marry him, her mother encouraging Morelli's requests. It all had been tough on Steph. And he hadn't helped her either, he had kept his distance, believing that Morelli was better for her, would keep her safe and provide her with things he couldn't, like love and stability.

All this had distracted her, from herself, from the threats she was getting, Morelli and her mother demanding her fullest attention. He had just hoped Morelli would keep her safe.

But Morelli couldn't keep her safe. She had been staying with him when her stalker had grabbed her. Morelli had gone out to get more beer. Leaving Steph alone with Bob.

If she had been staying with him...

If.

But she hadn't, because he lied to himself. He had loved her, still loved her and he felt like it wasn't worth living anymore. She had meant everything to him and she had trusted him. Trusted him like nobody ever had. Not his parents, not his men. She was there for him whenever he needed someone to lean on, but he hadn't offered the same to her. He could still remember when she had come by to say goodbye.

He was sitting at his desk, catching up on paperwork when Steph walked in, looking tired and unhappy.

"What's up, Babe?"

"I quit."

He raised an eyebrow at her, willing her to go on. He was sure that there was more behind it.

"I just can't do this anymore. It's too much. Joe asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"When?"

"Last night. And he asked me to think about my job and then my Mom started in on me too. I just can't do it anymore." She broke down sobbing, and he wanted nothing more than cradle her in his arms and take the pain away. "Please don't pressure me anymore, I can't stand it."

"Are you happy?"

She nodded, unable to lie to him. They both knew it wasn't true, but neither was willing to make the first step.

"Then congratulations."

She nodded and got up, leaving behind the man who had truly loved her, but was too afraid to admit to himself, let alone the woman he loved.

She had walked out of his life, leaving him feeling empty and useless. Leaving him feeling dark.

He had heard at the station that Morelli didn't seem to watch her, so he had his men watch out for her, still working on her stalker problem, but they couldn't find anything.

But then, two weeks ago Morelli had called him, telling him that he couldn't find Steph. Everything had gone downhill from there. They had intensified their search, hoping to get to him before he did Steph any harm. They found him in the end, but they were too late. He had already hurt Steph, raped her and tortured her. And then left. They still didn't know who had done it, who had taken her and why.

When they found her eight days later she was in a bad condition. She was shackled to a wall, kept upright, but she was unconscious. She was naked, her body covered in bruises. He had immediately felt for a pulse and it had been there, weak, but there. They had called an ambulance immediately, trying to save precious time in an attempt to save her.

At the hospital they had immediately taken her into surgery. After endless hours of waiting, ten to be precise, the doc had come out and told them about her condition. Three ribs broken, one had punctured her lung. There had been extreme internal damage, they had had to remove her spleen and her uterus. Every hope Morelli had ever had to have kids had been crumbled with this one sentence of the doc.

But it had also destroyed his hopes. All his dreams that he would have a family with Steph, everything.

And she had a concussion, that was why she was unconscious in the first place. She was in a coma now, no idea if she would wake up, no idea about the damage.

Coma. It had echoed through his mind, refusing to leave him alone. Wherever he moved the word followed him, haunted him.

He had sat with her after that, never leaving her side but to got to the bathroom. He had refused to eat, refused to leave her alone for a second longer than necessary.

Morelli hadn't been there, had been off to do who knows what, but he hadn't sat with his fiancee, hadn't supported her like he should have. So Ranger had sat with her, held her hand, whispered to her. He had told her he loved her, repeatedly, had apologized for not protecting her better. But there wasn't any change in her condition.

And then, two nights ago, all hell had broken loose. The doc had told him that there wasn't much hope, that she had been in a bad condition, but when the monitors went off he couldn't believe it. She had been doing a tiny little bit better and he had hoped, hoped that she would come back to him, hoped that he would get a second chance with her. But it wasn't to be, God had had other plans for Stephanie.

She had died that night two days ago, in a hospital bed. And had left him behind, him and all the other people who had loved and adored her.

But today had been the hardest. Her funeral. He refused to think about it, to think about the minister's words. He just couldn't.

And now he was driving around, alone in his hopelessness. Alone.

He couldn't stand it any longer, couldn't stand the thought of being without her, living his life in the darkness, without her light.

He pulled over and pulled his gun. Soon, Babe, I'll see you soon. And he pointed the gun at his temple.


End file.
